I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Series: Roman's Chronicles #1
Published by NYLA on July 30, 2024
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / Urban
Pages: 130
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews comes a novella featuring Roman, our favorite Volhv wizard in the always intriguing, colorful, volatile Kate Daniels world.
It’s not easy serving Chernobog, the God of Destruction, Darkness and Death...especially during the holidays; and especially when you’re out of eggnog and one of your pesky, freeloading mythic creatures has eaten your last cookie.
Roman would like nothing more than to be left alone, but when a wounded boy stumbles into his yard and begs for sanctuary, Roman takes him in. Now elite mercenaries are camped out on his property, combat mages are dousing the house with fire, and strange priests are unleashing arcane magic. They thought Roman was easy pickings, just a hermit in the woods, but they chose the wrong dark priest to annoy. For while Roman might be patient, he is the Black Volhv, filled with the love of his terrible god. For his adversaries, it's a fight to the death, but for him, it's just another day in the neighborhood.
Includes a bonus short story and more!
I loved this story! It is no secret that I am a huge fan of the writing pair of Ilona Andrews. Whenever I pick up something this pair of writers create, I find something magical on the page. That is exactly what happened with this new story. I have to admit that didn’t remember as much about Roman from the Kate Daniels series as I probably should but that didn’t cause any issues jumping into this book. I think this story would work well as a stand-alone story and is a must-read for anyone who is already a fan of the character.
Roman serves Chernobog, the God of Destruction, Darkness, and Death which isn’t a pleasant job most days. He has powerful magic and I loved seeing some of the things that he was able to do. When a young boy asks for sanctuary at his home, he feels that he must oblige. That’s when the trouble starts. A group of mercenaries are determined to get their hands on this boy and will use everything at their disposal to make that happen.
The story had plenty of action to keep me glued to the pages. I enjoyed getting the chance to know more about this character and really appreciated learning how he ended up becoming the Black Volhv. He really is a good guy despite the fact he works for the God of Destruction. It seemed that there was no end to his ability and willingness to sacrifice for others.
I would highly recommend this book to others. This is a quick-moving novella that I was almost impossible to put down once I started reading. I am amazed by the fact that such a big story fits in this shorter work but Ilona Andrews somehow made it happen. I hope to read many more of Roman’s adventures in the future.
I received a digital review copy of this book from NYLA.
I did not even know about this one
This does sound so good! And I totally love that cover.
Ilona Andrews is a real talent. I loved this also.
I could see myself liking this one, sounds good.
I need this one. Love Ilona Andrews.
I really need to try Illona Andrews. I’ve heard nothing but good things about this author and I love the sound of this.
I agree 100%. This book was fantastic – familiar, but all new. I hope we get more Roman stories.